Double Standards: How Food Giants Have Different Recipes, Warning Labels Outside India

India’s debate over front-of-pack health warnings has exposed a wider difference in how global food and beverage companies formulate and label products across markets.

While some of these companies use colour-coded or interpretive nutrition labels in countries such as the UK, their industry groups have opposed similar proposals in India, arguing that such systems could confuse consumers or fail to account for local eating habits, as per a report by Reuters.

The issue has also drawn attention to differences in recipes. For instance, a can of Fanta sold in London contains 63 calories, while the Indian version has around three times as much sugar, the report said.

The Indian product also contains an artificial colour whose use in Europe requires a prominent health warning, whereas in India its presence is disclosed in small print on the back.

Why India’s Front-Label Debate Matters

India’s food-safety regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), had considered prominent, colour-coded warnings and other interpretive labels since 2017. These could have highlighted high levels of sugar, salt or fat through easily recognisable colours or symbols.

However, following a meeting with food industry executives in March, FSSAI moved away from the proposed interpretive system. The regulator told the Supreme Court in August that matching international packaging standards was "difficult," as per the Reuters report.

Instead, FSSAI has proposed a black-and-white table displaying sugar, fat and salt information.

The decision is being scrutinised by the Supreme Court following a petition by public health activists.

In February, the court had asked regulators to consider warning systems, including Israel’s red-and-green model. It later reportedly criticised the regulator’s position, saying "the world should know that India is very much concerned about the overall health of its citizens."

What Food Companies Are Saying

Industry representatives have argued that front-of-pack warnings could oversimplify nutritional information.

According to the Reuters report, at the March 19 meeting with regulators, Coca-Cola India executive Mili Bhattacharya said it was "very simplistic" to believe that a consumer who doesn’t already read ingredient lists "will be so informed by seeing a symbol or an icon on the label" that their diet significantly improves.

She also argued that warning labels would not stop consumers from consuming sugary or salty products and said Indian doctors had already helped educate patients about foods to avoid.

Yet, Coca-Cola and its bottling partners have voluntarily introduced traffic-light-style labels on beverages in around two dozen European markets, the Reuters analysis showed.

Coca-Cola HBC (Switzerland-based affiliate) describes these labels as providing “clear and transparent” information.

Nestle, which is part of Indian industry groups that opposed earlier proposals, has also used interpretive labels in Britain since 2013.

Fanta, KitKat And Maggi Show Recipe Differences

Differences extend beyond labelling as Reuters reported that Nestle’s standard KitKat sold in India contains 4.5% cocoa solids, compared with at least 22% cocoa in the milk chocolate used in the Australian version.

Maggi offers another example as all variants of Nestle’s Maggi instant noodles sold in India use palm oil, while many versions sold in Britain use sunflower oil.

Some Maggi packets sold in Britain are made in India but carry red front-of-pack warnings indicating high salt content, the report said.

Reuters cited former Mondelez executive Parul Sharma as saying that pricing and affordability are among the biggest reasons recipes vary between countries.

Industry Pushback And The Court Battle

The industry has also raised concerns over how a warning system would classify products. For India, the central question could be whether food labels should merely disclose ingredients or actively flag products that are high in sugar, salt and fat.

According to Reuters, Deepak Jolly of the Ind Food & Beverage Association said at the March meeting that colour-coded warnings could result in widespread red labels, given industry estimates that nearly 80% of products in India’s more than $100 billion packaged food and beverage market could be considered high in fat, sugar and salt.

The association, which represents companies including PepsiCo, told Reuters that it wanted greater clarity, saying current proposals could potentially result in a “high sugar” warning on products such as coconut water containing only natural sugar.

Meanwhile, public health campaigners argue that clearer labels are necessary as consumption of processed foods increases. Reuters cited a recent Lancet study estimating that 450 million Indians could be overweight or obese by 2050.

The debate is unfolding alongside greater scrutiny of food marketing. PepsiCo obtained a Delhi court order to remove a 2023 video by influencer Revant Himatsingka, who criticised the sugar and artificial sweetener content of its Sting drink, the report said.

In July, Indian regulators also ordered PepsiCo and other companies to stop using the “energy drink” label within 90 days.

The issue has gained further momentum as Indian consumers become more health-conscious. According to Pharmarack, monthly sales of weight-loss drugs that reduce appetite have risen 400% since early 2025, as per the Reuters report.